#M05B04: match facts
Bayer 04 have won 11 of their last 15 games against Mainz - a good omen for continuing the club's record unbeaten run away from home in the Bundesliga. Captain Robert Andrich could also become the first individual player to go 38 away matches without defeat. Another good sign for that is the Werkself's positive attacking record: Bayer 04 boast the joint third-best attack in the German top flight, while the 05ers have scored the second-fewest goals. When it comes to battling qualities, though, Mainz are still one of the top sides in the league, winning the most aerial duels (148) and the fourth-most tackles (583). Who leads the latter category with 652 duels won? The Werkself!
Kasper Hjulmand is also looking to remain unbeaten as Bayer 04 head coach. The Dane returns to his former employers having been in the dugout at the Rhine Hesse club between July 2014 and February 2015. One of his players at that time was Jonas Hofmann - the then 22-year-old scored three times in the 05ers' first eight matches under Hjulmand.
focus on mainz
After a thrilling last season which ended in qualification for the UEFA Conference League, it's been a sobering start to the new campaign for Mainz. The 05ers go into this meeting in 16th place with four points. On the one hand, that's down to a shaky defence who have conceded at least once in every match. On the other hand, the departure of last season's top goalscorer Jonathan Burkardt to Eintracht Frankfurt over the summer has hurt the team. His replacement, Benedict Hollerbach, has missed four out of the six games so far through injury, while creative player and ex-Leverkusen man Nadiem Amiri hasn't yet been able to reproduce his form from last season. That's partly why Mainz have yet to score a single goal at home, while several red cards haven't helped them either. However, head coach Bo Henriksen has a full squad to pick from again for the visit of the Werkself and is hoping for a return of the energetic football of last season, which his team have only shown so far this season in the impressive 4-1 win at FC Augsburg. "We have to be hungry, that's the most important thing in football," said Henriksen. Read more on Mainz in our profile piece.
3,400 Fans in Mainz
Bayer 04 can count on the vociferous support of their away fans once again at the MEWA ARENA, where 3,4000 supporters will be roaring the team on.
Exner in charge
Refereeing his first ever match involving the Werkself is Dr Florian Exner. The 35-year-old has been a Bundesliga referee since 2024 and has taken charge of three fixtures so far this season, including the recent 6-4 thriller between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Exner will be assisted by Mitja Stegemann and Thomas Gorniak on the sidelines, with Felix Wagner as the fourth official and Katrin Rafalski operating as the video assistant.
